


it's been a long, long time

by isleysister



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Feelings Realization, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Slow Dancing, fun in the soul stone, general softness, on sams part at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-02 08:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18807361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isleysister/pseuds/isleysister
Summary: Bucky leads Sam to the dance floor and firmly but gently places one hand on Sam’s waist, the other holds Sam’s hand.Sam clears his throat.Remain calm, Wilson.  Slow dancing can be platonic, right? Right??





	it's been a long, long time

**Author's Note:**

> I already posted this on tumblr and it did okayish so i thought i'd post it here too.  
> I present to you a v short sambucky fic in which they are trapped in the soul stone, which for some reason forces them to exist only in reflections of their pasts. In this one, they happen to be in bucky's past in some 40s club. At this point, they’ve been in the soulstone for a while. 
> 
> I know it doesn't make sense, just roll with it.

Bucky and Sam are still lying against the wall when the band calls for all the couples to get on the floor for a slow dance. Bucky hums along to whatever song is playing, soft and low. Suddenly, he turns to face Sam. 

Bucky’s got a grin on his face and Sam’s throat is very dry. 

“May I have this dance?” he asks, with so much unforeseeable ease, that it makes Sam understand what Steve was talking about when he said Bucky used to be smooth.

“This music isn’t really my style, but I’ll go with it,” Sam obliges. He steps forward and offers his hands to Bucky, all the while ignoring the quickening of his heart.

The feeling only gets harder to ignore though when Bucky leads Sam to the dance floor and firmly but gently places one hand on Sam’s waist, the other holds Sam’s hand. 

Sam clears his throat.

_Remain calm, Wilson.  Slow dancing can be platonic, right? Right??_

“Hey, this stuff used to uh…what did Shuri say? It bangs? It buzzes? Goes? Somewhere?” Bucky’s face scrunches up in exaggerated confusion. “Sam, please help me.”

Sam doesn’t help him, not one bit. Instead, he settles for muffling his laughter by pressing his face into Bucky’s shoulder. This turns out to be the worst decision Sam has ever made because now Sam can now feel Bucky shaking with laughter as well. The sensation warms Sam all the way down to his toes and he never wants it to stop. 

Their laughter eventually does fade though, but it simply slips into an easy silence, with only the band crooning in the background. They sway with the music and the dozens of couples around them fade from Sam’s mind.  

Sam’s never felt more at ease, more safe than he does right now. He wants to say its because he is far from the troubles of reality, but he knows that’s not the only reason.

This isn’t just relief Sam is feeling. This is love. He’s in love with James Buchanan Barnes, the 100-year-old super-serum injected ex-soldier who makes stupid puns and awful grilled cheese sandwiches and listens to an inexplicable amount of Destiny’s Child. He knows when Sam needs to laugh and when Sam just needs his presence. He knows when to push and when to be oh so gentle and he makes Sam feel like he can put his guard down and…

Sam loves him.

 _Fuck_.

Sam verbally groans at the realization, letting out a sound before he can even stop it. 

Bucky moves a bit away from Sam and his body screams  _No, don’t do that_. 

“You okay there, Wilson?”

“Yeah, I’m fine I was just…thinking,” Sam offers.   
_Smooth, Wilson._

“Thinkin’ about what exactly?” Bucky asks. 

_About you._

“Just about how weird this all is,” Sam says, trying his best to keep his voice light. “The fact that we’re trapped in each other’s memories like this…it’s still not set in.”

But at his words, Bucky’s eyes dim, and he completely takes his hands off Sam. Instead Bucky’s hands travel to run through his hair, which is a telltale sign that he’s embarrassed. But what would Bucky have to be embarrassed about?

“Right, right,” Bucky mutters. “It’s not ideal.”

The sweet quiet that had made Sam feel so safe is gone. Now Sam finds the silence insufferable, so he casts around for something to say.

“Not like  _here_  here, I just meant pseudo-Heaven in all its greatness,” Sam recovers. “But in the meantime, take me to the movies or swingin’ or something. It’s not like we’re going back to my reflections anytime soon.”

Bucky’s smile returns, thank god.

“Swingin’? You couldn’t handle it.” Bucky’s got a soft yet sly look on his face that makes Sam’s heart skip a beat for the entirely wrong reasons. “Let’s settle for a movie, alright?”

Sam’s so flustered, he can’t even think of a good response. His usual quick wit is completely gone.

“Whatever, Barnes,” is all he can get out.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! comments and kudos are v much appreciated


End file.
